Agapanthus plant named ‘ANDBIN’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Agapanthus , ‘ANDBIN’, that is characterized by its fast growing and fast multiplying growth habit, its compact plant habit, it inflorescences that form dense umbels of flowers that are dark blue-violet in color, its extended flowering season blooming and re-blooming from July to January in South Africa, its very floriferous blooming period producing an unusually high number of inflorescences, and its good resistance to fungal infection from  Macrophoma agapanthii.

Botanical classification: Agapanthus hybrid.

Varietal denomination: ‘ANDBIN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAgapanthus of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by itscultivar name, ‘ANDBIN’. ‘ANDBIN’ represents a new perennial herb grownfor landscape use.

The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding program by theInventor in Hartebeespoort, Northwest Province, South Africa. Theobjective of the breeding program is to develop new cultivars ofAgapanthus that are fast growing, early flowering and that displayrepeat flowering and unique flower colors. The Inventor made a cross inOctober of 2007 between an unnamed plant of Agapanthus caulescens hybridfrom the Inventor's breeding program as the female parent and an unnamedplant of Agapanthus campanulatus hybrid from the Inventor's breedingprogram as the male parent. The Inventor selected ‘ANDBIN’ in Novemberof 2009 as a single unique plant amongst the seedlings that resultedfrom the above cross.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished bydivision by the Inventor in Hartebeespoort, Northwest Province, SouthAfrica in February of 2010. Asexual propagation by division and tissueculture has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar arestable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. The characteristics in combinationdistinguish ‘ANDBIN’ as a distinct cultivar of Agapanthus.

-   -   1. ‘ANDBIN’ exhibits a fast growing and fast multiplying growth        habit.    -   2. ‘ANDBIN’ exhibits a compact plant habit.    -   3. ‘ANDBIN’ exhibits inflorescences that form dense umbels of        flowers that are dark blue-violet in color.    -   4. ‘ANDBIN’ exhibits an extended flowering season blooming and        re-blooming from July to January in South Africa.    -   5. ‘ANDBIN’ exhibits a very floriferous blooming period        producing an unusually high number of inflorescences.    -   6. ‘ANDBIN’ exhibits good resistance to fungal infection from        Macrophoma agapanthii.

The female parent of ‘ANDBIN’ differs from ‘ANDBIN’ in having a shorterflowering season, in having few flowers per inflorescence, and inproducing fewer inflorescences. The male parent of ‘ANDBIN’ differs from‘ANDBIN’ in being slower growing, in having a shorter flowering season,in being more susceptible to disease, and in having flowers that aredarker in color. ‘ANDBIN’ can be most closely compared to the Agapanthuscultivars ‘Benfran’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,705) and ‘ATIBlu’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 14,332). ‘Benfran’ is similar to ‘ANDBIN’ in having acompact plant habit and in being fast to multiply. ‘Benfran’ differsfrom ‘ANDBIN’ in being less cold tolerant, in having flowers that arelighter blue in color, in having fewer inflorescences, and in exhibitingvery little to no re-blooming. ‘ATIBlu’ is similar to ‘ANDBIN’ in beinga prolific producer of inflorescences and in exhibiting good coldtolerant. ‘ATIBlu’ differs from ‘ANDBIN’ in having flowers that are paleblue in color, in having a shorter flowering season, in exhibiting lessre-blooming, in having flowering stems that are taller in height, and inhaving leaves that are narrower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Agapanthus. The photographs weretaken of 14 month-old plants (from a bare root division) of ‘ANDBIN’ asgrown outdoors in a 3-gallon container in Loxley, Ala.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of a plant of ‘ANDBIN’ inbloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of‘ANDBIN’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized and color values cited inthe detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of thenew Agapanthus.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 14 month-old plants (from abare root division) of ‘ANDBIN’ as grown outdoors in 3-gallon containersin Loxley, Ala. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary withvariations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as ithas not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. Thecolor determinations are in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except wheregeneral color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms and re-blooms from July to January            with peak bloom in November in South Africa.        -   Plant type.—Semi-deciduous (climate dependent) herbaceous            perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Basal rosettes with inflorescences emerging            from the rosette center.        -   Height and spread.—Average of 60 cm in height (including            inflorescences) and 35 cm in spread.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 8.        -   Diseases and pests.—Good resistance to fungal infections by            Macrophoma agapanthii fungus has been observed.        -   Root description.—Thick and fleshy.        -   Propagation.—Tissue culture (preferred) and division.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Ligulate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Truncate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—2-ranked.        -   Leaf apex.—Narrow acute.        -   Leaf aspect.—Emerging leaves erect, then cascade.        -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, upper surface; matches leaf            coloration, and lower surface; 138B with only mid rib            conspicuous.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire.        -   Leaf size.—Up to 30 cm in length and 1.9 cm in width.        -   Leaf surface.—Smooth, glabrous, and dull on upper and lower            surface.        -   Leaf number.—Average of 10 leaves per rosette.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves, upper and lower surface; 144A and            blending to N137B near apex and 145D at base, mature leaves,            upper and lower surface; 137A and 145D at base.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile to base.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Dense umbel.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower type.—Rotate, campanulate, base of tepals fused.        -   Flower number.—An average of 70 flowers per umbel.        -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 12 cm in height (excluding            peduncle) and 13.2 cm in diameter.        -   Flower size.—An average of 2.9 cm in depth and 3.8 cm in            diameter.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Average 7 days.        -   Flower aspect.—Outward.        -   Peduncle.—1 to 2 per rosette with rebloom, strong, slightly            oval in shape, held at an average angle of 0° to 15°            (upright=0°), average of 45 cm in length and 1.1 cm in width            at distal region and 4 mm in width at proximal region, a            blend of 144A and 137A in color, satiny and glabrous            surface.        -   Pedicels.—Very strong, average of 2.5 cm in length and 1 mm            in width, held erect to outward (0° to 180°), color 144B to            144C.        -   Flower buds.—Obelliptic in shape, average of 2.3 cm in            length and 5 mm in width, a blend of 95B to 95C and 97B to            97D in color and lightly suffused with N81A, enclosed by a            deciduous spathe-like bract ovate in shape, caudate apex,            truncate base, an average of 3.0 cm in width and 3.8 cm in            width, color outer surface; a blend of 138B, 138C and 91A,            color inner surface; a blend of 157A, 91A, and N81A, outer            surface glabrous and glossy, inner surface glabrous and            dull.        -   Tepals.—6 (3 inner and 3 outer), rotate, obelliptic in            shape, lower 45% fused, entire margins, broadly acute apex,            glabrous on inner and outer surfaces, inner and outer tepals            are an average of 2.2 cm in length, inner tepals are 6 mm in            width, outer tepals are 4 mm in width, color; a blend of 95B            to 95D and 97B to 97D and lightly suffused with N81A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, average of 1.9 cm in length, stigma is            narrow clavate in shape and 95D in color, style is 1.9 cm in            length and 95C to 95D in color, ovary is oblong in shape, 7            mm in length, 2 mm in width and 145D in color.        -   Androcoecium.—6 stamens, anthers are dorsified, obcordate in            shape, average of 1 mm in length, and N155A in color,            filament is 2.1 cm in length and 95C to 95D in color, pollen            is moderately abundant in quantity and 188A in color.        -   Fruit/seed.—Have not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Agapanthus plant named‘ANDBIN’ as herein illustrated and described.